Chapter 144
Lucinda froze for a moment.
Hadn't Reginald said he was going on a business trip? That he wouldn't be back for several more days? How had he returned so quickly?
Sitting across from her, Dahlia also caught sight of the scene. Her hand tightened around her spoon. The jealousy in her eyes was nearly impossible to suppress.
Why?
She'd spent years chasing after Reginald, and all she'd ever gotten in return was coldness and distance.
But Lucinda had only just appeared. How long had it even been?
Why did everyone's eyes land on her?
Just then, the courtyard gate swung open. Reginald walked straight in.
His gaze landed on Lucinda first. "Have you eaten?"
"Yes." Lucinda nodded.
Reginald looked at her, confirming that she seemed well. Only then did the weariness from traveling through the night begin to lift from his features.
Valencia took in the scene with a deepening smile. "All right, all right. Now that you're back, stop standing around."
She waved her hand. "Cindy, go back with Reginald. Mr. Hayden Lancaster called yesterday and went on about you all day. He said if you don't go see him soon, he'll come drag you there himself."
Lucinda couldn't help but laugh. Reginald's lips curved slightly as well. He reached out and took her hand. "Let's go."
Meanwhile, at the Lancaster Estate, Hayden had been sitting in the living room for nearly half an hour.
He'd claimed he was just casually waiting, but the newspaper in his hands hadn't turned a single page in all that time. Every so often, he'd lift his head and glance toward the door.
The butler stood nearby, struggling not to smile.
Since morning, Hayden had asked no fewer than ten times.
"Is Reginald back yet?"
"Have they left yet?"
"Is there traffic?"
Finally, the sound of a car engine shutting off came from the courtyard. Hayden immediately set down the newspaper. His movements were so nimble, he didn't look like someone who'd just been discharged from the hospital.
But just as he stood, he seemed to realize he was being too obvious. He forced himself to put on a serious expression and sat back down.
Only when footsteps sounded at the entrance did he look up, feigning indifference.
"You're here?"
Lucinda had just stepped into the living room. Before she could even speak, the smile on Hayden's face was already impossible to hide.
"Come, sit down."
Then he shot a look of disdain at Reginald, who was following behind her. "Why are you standing in the back? You're so big, you're blocking the way."
Reginald was silent for two seconds. He quietly stepped aside.
Lucinda's lips curved slightly.
Hayden, however, seemed completely oblivious to his son's helplessness. He turned and instructed the butler to bring out the fruit and desserts that had been prepared earlier.
"Try this. The cake was delivered fresh this morning."
"And these strawberries—airlifted from overseas. They're incredibly sweet."
The coffee table was soon piled high.
Lucinda looked at the mountain of sweets, barely leaving room to set anything down. She was very helpless. "Mr. Lancaster, this is too much."
"Too much? Nonsense." Hayden waved his hand dismissively, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Young people have big appetites. Eat more."
Then he added, "Besides, you're too thin."
Reginald, sitting nearby, looked up.
Sure enough, the next second, Hayden's criticism turned on him. "And Reginald—how have you been taking care of her?"
Reginald set down his teacup, his tone resigned. "Dad, she was like this before she even met me."
"Then that means you haven't fattened her up since." Hayden's reply was immediate.
Reginald fell silent.
The living room went quiet for a moment. The butler quickly lowered his head, afraid he'd laugh out loud.
Even Lucinda couldn't hold back. Her lips curved gently.
Seeing her smile, Hayden's mood lifted even more.
Throughout lunch, Reginald finally understood what it meant to be completely ignored.
Hayden sat at the head of the table. His hands barely stopped moving.
The moment Lucinda's bowl emptied even slightly, more food appeared.
"This fish is excellent. No bones."
"Try this pork rib."
"The shrimp is delicious too."
Before long, the small bowl in front of her was piled like a mountain.
Reginald, on the other hand, received no such attention from start to finish.
Halfway through adding food to Lucinda's bowl, Hayden's peripheral vision caught sight of Reginald's empty dish. Only then did he seem to remember he had a son. "Why aren't you eating?"
Reginald looked up at him. "Did you serve me anything?"
Hayden paused, then calmly withdrew his gaze. "Don't you have hands?"
Lucinda lowered her head to drink her soup, her shoulders shaking with quiet laughter.
Reginald saw it. A trace of helpless amusement flickered in his eyes too.
After lunch, the group moved to the living room for tea.
Hayden's spirits were clearly much better than before. His complexion was rosy, his voice strong. There was no trace of the frail, sickly man from earlier.
Lucinda finished checking his vitals and nodded. "Your recovery is excellent."
Hearing this, Hayden's smile deepened. "See? I told you I was fine."
He picked up his teacup and took a sip. When he mentioned the medicine Lucinda had sent, he couldn't stop praising it. "Those pills of yours are really something. Not bitter at all, and the effects are incredible. The medicine those doctors used to prescribe—just looking at it gave me a headache. Our Cindy is so much smarter."
At this point, Hayden seemed to remember something. He turned and waved the butler over. "Go get the photo album."
The butler nodded. Soon, a thick photo album was brought over.
Hayden flipped through a few pages. His movements slowed. He pointed to a girl in one of the photos. "Cindy, take a look."
The photo showed a girl around twenty years old, wearing a windbreaker and standing at the peak of a snow-covered mountain. Her smile was wild and unrestrained.
The moment Lucinda's gaze landed on the photo, her fingers paused slightly.
She lowered her lashes. She didn't say anything.
But a thought flickered quietly through her mind.
So it's her.
Hayden didn't notice her reaction. When he spoke of the girl in the photo, his eyes were full of affection.
"This is Reginald's younger sister, Niamh. She's still studying abroad, but honestly, she's more interested in exploring the world than studying. Last month she was on a snow mountain. Next month, who knows what country she'll run off to."
He shook his head as he spoke.
But there wasn't a trace of real reproach in his tone. In fact, he murmured to himself, "Just like her mother."
The living room suddenly fell quiet.
Hayden's gaze lingered on another old photograph. He didn't move for a long time.
It was a young, beautiful woman with gentle eyes and a radiant smile.
"It's not just her personality." Hayden's voice grew quieter. "She looks like her too. Especially when she smiles."
As he spoke, his eyes began to redden, as if remembering something from long ago.
After a long pause, he let out a soft sigh.
Lucinda looked at the old man in front of her. After a moment of silence, she handed him a tissue. "If Mrs. Lancaster knew how much you miss her, she'd be very happy."
Hayden froze.
Lucinda continued, her voice gentle. "If you take care of yourself and stay happy, she'll feel at ease."
Hayden looked up at her. In his slightly clouded eyes, a smile slowly formed.
After a long moment, he patted the back of her hand. "You really know how to say the right thing."
As he spoke, his eyes reddened even more.
And in his heart, his fondness for this young woman quietly deepened.